Obstacles Continue for Humanitarian Assistance in Northern Gaza Regardless of Temporary Peace

Although the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border opens in the coming days, relief agencies face major difficulties delivering supplies to Gaza City, the territory worst hit by food shortages, analysts state.

Access Challenges

Major routes are virtually unusable due to massive destruction across the devastated territory – or continue to be controlled by military units. Any truck that malfunctions is likely to be quickly plundered.

The main entry point, the main entry point to the north, damaged by 24 months of conflict, has been closed for several weeks, and authorities have notified humanitarian organizations in Gaza that there are no short-term arrangements to open the border point, according to aid workers.

Devastation in Northern Territories

The northern urban center was the focus of a major Israeli offensive begun in August that was ongoing when the peace agreement was agreed upon last week.

Damage in the north has been massive, with whole settlements including urban centers and Beit Hanoun in devastated as well as many of the surrounding regions of Gaza City.

"Any opening of a access route into Gaza is welcome, but we need to make sure we can reach people where they are," stated a policy expert from a relief agency.

Humanitarian Circumstances

Local residents said many of the approximately 300,000 people who have come back to the north from the densely populated southern area where they had been sheltering during the military operations were now "staying" among the debris of their homes, often without any protection and with limited supplies or resources.

A representative from a humanitarian body said the damage in Gaza City was "overwhelming".

"There is neighborhood after neighborhood, home after home ... there is massive desperation for clean water. The situation is dire. We require every border point operational," the official, who was in Gaza City earlier this week, stated.

Insufficient Distribution

A community leader located in the urban center said the needs in what used to be the region's thriving business and social center were "enormous".

"People have this optimism and hope but there needs to be immediate enhancement on the border points. There has been no substantial progress on the situation yet," the director commented.

"We are still getting a very limited amount of assistance [and] we are just beginning to understand the extent of destruction. Numerous roads are completely covered in rubble ... there is almost no home that is undamaged. We see destruction and unexploded ordnance throughout the area."

Ongoing Changes

In recent days, aid agencies said modest volumes of vital cooking gas came into Gaza for the initial occasion in many weeks, along with shipments of flour, cereal and farm products. The new supplies sent prices in markets falling.

Within a central community, a local resident said there had been some improvement since the peace agreement.

"The markets are containing food, fresh goods, and produce, although the rates are still high and not attainable for everyone," the person commented.

Winter Preparations

"The primary requirements now, especially with the approach of the cold season, are to have a temporary housing to keep us safe from the cold weather and winter clothes because the stores do not have sufficient clothing for us or, if they are available, they are extremely limited and very expensive."

Several organization-assisted bakeries in various locations have resumed functioning since the truce.

Aid Transport

Vehicles were announced to have passed via the Kerem Shalom crossing via the eastern border to Gaza during recent days, though precise counts were unknown.

The country's media outlet reported that the day's assistance transports would include nutritional supplies, healthcare equipment, energy sources, fuel for cooking and equipment to repair crucial facilities.

"Relief supplies keeps coming into the conflict region through the border access point and additional routes after security checks," an government spokesperson stated.

Distribution Challenges

But monitoring the quantity of vehicles could be deceptive, cautioned a specialist from an international NGO. "We must determine the contents of the trucks and their capacity levels for it to be a really meaningful measurement," the official said.

Private companies are sending fleets of trucks carrying confectionery, fizzy drinks and light food, which have poor dietary quality, while emergency treatments for minors or others who have been without sufficient nutrition for two years are limited.

Medical Situation

Throughout the main city, only seven medical centers are operating, compared with 45 in summer.

Numerous organizations have substantial resources worth of supplies stored around Gaza pending distribution. A UN agency assisting local residents across the territory for a long time has extended provisions of food for the entire population ready to be transported.

"We possess the resources, the instruments and the capabilities ... we simply must have the entry," said a humanitarian staff member, recently returned from Gaza.

Diplomatic Considerations

A proposed plan outlines that "full" aid should be delivered to Gaza and be allocated through the UN and relief organizations, without interference from both combatant organizations or government forces.

This likely prohibits the disputed authority-approved relief agency which started working in May, causing uncontrolled circumstances and numerous casualties as crowds of aid-seekers assembled around its assistance centers.

Relief representatives in Gaza {told|informed